Wigan: 0 Arsenal:1 Match Report

Goal: Arteta (60, pen)

Arsenal Line-Up (4-3-3). Szczesny (GK), Sagna (RB), Vermaalen (CB), Mertesacker (CB), Gibbs (LB),  Wilshere (CM) Arteta (CM), Cazorla (CM), Podolski (LF), Oxlade-Chamberlain (RF), Walcott (CF).

Arsenal got all three points after a cagey affair at the DW stadium and achieved three consecutive Premiere League victories for the first time this season. In terms of the quality of the performance, this was far from a stellar display from Arsenal, but at the moment nothing but three points matters to build some confidence and momentum.

Arsene Wenger had the same starting line-up that ripped Reading apart five days ago with their slick passing and movement, but Wigan had done their homework much better than their fellow strugglers.  Suffering from a deep injury crisis with centerbacks Alcaraz and Caldwell unavailable, Roberto Martinez placed McCarthy at the tip of a three-centerback formation (3-5-2) and gave him the licence to move up the pitch to help their build-up when Wigan gained possession. The midfielder, though initially uncomfortable at this hybrid role, did a decent job, especially by effectively squeezing the space that Cazorla usually thrives. The Spaniard, for the first time this season, had zero attempts on goal all game long. He did not have a particularly bad game, yet he was far from his usual self pulling all the strings. The Wigan midfield and front two also pressed quite effectively, especially in the first half, and did not allow Arsenal to settle into their usual passing game.

The main Arsenal threat on the day was Oxlade-Chamberlain at the right wing, who had a very energetic and aggressive performance (Podolski on the left was completely lethargic, almost on strike). It was the promising teenager who had their first chance in the 8th minute. When a clever Cazorla flick gave Arteta the keys of the vast space that was Wigan’s midfield, the Spaniard pushed forward to release Oxlade on the right edge of the box, but the winger’s venomous shot was saved by Al Habsi at the near post.

Wigan, though, were passing the ball quite well despite the somewhat heavy surface, and they almost took the lead shortly after the 20th minute when Di Santo picked Kone’s run behind Mertesacker. The Ivorian left the big German for dead with his pace, yet he shot terribly wide when facing only Szczesny.  Wigan had the tidier build-up, but their forward moves were usually wasted by the two most terrible wingbacks I have seen in the same team, Stam on the right, and Beausejour on the left.  Stam, in particular, easily found space on the right due to Podolski not tracking him properly, but his delivery failed him time and time again.

The second half started with Oxlade Chamberlain seemingly having received clear instructions to attack Beausejour on Wigan’s left, and he did that brilliantly. First, he skinned Wigan’s left wingback, but his low dangerous cross was cut out by Boyce. Minutes later, when Oxlade was played behind Beausejour by Cazorla, he delivered a precise cutback to Walcott, but the “contract-rebel-striker-wanna-be” underlined what separates him from top-class poachers with his tame shot, which was saved by Al Habsi. Arsenal’s pressure down Wigan’s left finally paid off when Cazorla slipped Walcott behind Beausejour on the right edge of the box. The Chilean should have stood off since Figueora was covering, but he made contact from behind with his leg tangling with Walcott’s. Arteta was cool as a cucumber from the spot, sending Al Habsi the wrong way.

After falling behind, Wigan started attacking with more numbers, yet their lack of quality up-front was telling. There were only two occasions when Szczesny was troubled. First, Kone cut inside Mertesacker from Wigan’s left, and driled a low shot denied by the Polish goalkeeper. Around the 70th minute, after a delightful Wigan build-up, Jones fired a missile from outside the box that missed Szczesny’s left post by a small margin.

In the last 15 minutes, Arsene Wenger replaced Oxlade with Ramsey and Podolski with Coquelin, and shifted Cazorla to wide left in order to neutralize Wigan’s dominance in the middle of the park. The move was useful as Wigan found it harder to carry the ball forward, but Arsenal also lost their outlets to keep the ball in Wigan’s half, since Walcott was completely useless in that regard. In the dying minutes, Arsenal closed the game without too much fuss and won massive 3 points which moved them above Spurs to third place (though Chelsea have two games in hand).

One final remark on Walcott playing as the central striker. After his acceptable and almost promising performance against Reading, Walcott’s display today reminded all the aspects of his game that makes him quite unsuitable for the role (see the above dashboard which shows how little he was involved). His supporters say that his pace and finishing ability is enough reason that he should play as the central striker. Yet, his pace is neutralized with deep and physical defences especially when Arsenal play at home. Finishing ability, on the other hand, is not only about how well you finish when you break behind defenders with the ball fully under your control. Finishing is mostly about sweeping home cutbacks under pressure, throwing yourself at the end of a low and hard cross into the 6 yard box, or holding off challenges with a defender on your back to turn and shoot from the edge of the box.  Moreover, Walcott does not have the mental and physical tenacity to hold the ball up front to provide relief to the team on less than perfect weather/pitch conditions against tougher opposition. This is not to say that he should not be deployed there occasionally, when there are no other options (Giroud was ill today). But in the longer term, if he stays with the club, Walcott needs to go back to the right wing where he is most useful to the team, and Wenger must buy a proper “real’ striker.

Reading:2 Arsenal:5 Match Report

Goals: Podolski (14), Cazorla (32), Cazorla (34), Cazorla (60), LeFondre (66), Kebe (71), Walcott (80)

Arsenal Line-Up (4-3-3). Szczesny (GK), Sagna (RB), Vermaalen (CB), Mertesacker (CB), Gibbs (LB),  Wilshere (CM) Arteta (CM), Cazorla (CM), Podolski (LF), Oxlade-Chamberlain (RF), Walcott (CF).

Led by the majestic Cazorla, Arsenal swept aside a helpless Reading side that offered less resistance than feta cheese especially in the first half. After the midweek debacle in Capital One Cup at Bradford (which was not covered here out of sheer pain), this was exactly what Arsenal needed to regroup when they are under attack from everyone and their mothers.

From a tactical point of view, the surprising aspect of Arsenal’s line-up was Theo Walcott starting as the central striker, flanked by Podolski on the left and Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right. His threat of pace and lateral movement staying high up the pitch did provide a big contrast to Giroud who cannot help but drop deep to get involved in build-up play. As such, Reading centerbacks faced something different as they were not able to push higher to squeeze the space Cazorla thrives. As a result, the Spanish playmaker had his most devastating performance so far this season.

On the right flank, Oxlade was excellent in the first half, showing remarkable directness and pace whenever he got the ball. It was him creating the first chance following a good run and shot from outside the box which was parried away by Federici with difficulty. Reading also threatened early in the game with Pogrebnyak going behind Gibbs, but his cutback was missed by Kebe in the 6 yard box.

Arsenal were playing with a speed and quality of movement which was completely missing since the away game at West Ham, and Reading were  not able to cope with their attacking intent. The remarkable ease that Arsenal built up attacks was mainly because none of the two Reading strikers (Hunt and Pogrebnyak) were putting any pressure on Arteta (who completed 93 of his attempted 102 passes), and their two wide midfielders were not tracking Sagna and especially Gibbs properly. Arsenal took the lead shortly before the 15th minute mark when Gibbs took on Kebe who gave him a lot of room and did nothing to prevent his low cross into the box. Podolski cushioned down the cross with his right foot and blasted it home with his left in the same movement with Reading defenders barely visible.

Walcott’s good movement and his staying high up the pitch indeed allowed Arsenal midfield a lot of room to build attacks, but Reading neither pressing nor keeping a solid defensive shape also helped Arsenal as the visitors carved open Reading almost every time they attacked. It should have been 2-0 soon after as Walcott raced behind to Cazorla’s quick ball but could not beat Federici one on one.

A difference from recent games was Cazorla and Wilshere being able to run with the ball with menace and taking on opposition to turn attacks into dangerous situations quickly. Wilshere had 4 (out of 6) succesful dribblings, Cazorla had 7 (out of 8). With Arteta providing all the cover needed (3 succesful tackles and 4 interceptions) and Walcott stretching Reading, Wilshere and Cazorla ran the attacking show in midfield.

It was 3-0 before the half with two Cazorla goals in quick succession. First, Arteta switched play to the left with a diagonal under no pressure, and Podolski attacked the hapless Cummings to deliver a peach of a cross in between the two centerbacks, which Cazorla finished with a diving header. Minutes later, Walcott had all the time in the world inside the box to look up and chip a ball to the far post. When Gibbs headed it back into the 6 yard box, Cazorla controlled the ball with his back to the goal and swiveled to ram it home.

The second half started with the same Arsenal menace. First, Wilshere played Walcott through but his shot was cleared off the line by Mariappa just before Cazorla tapped in. But the Spaniard claimed his first hat-trick for Arsenal after a brilliant move started on the right by Oxlade found Wilshere who played Podolski in behind Reading defenders. The German’s cut back was tapped in by Cazorla for the most Arsenalesque goal of the season yet.

Having gone 4-0 up, Arsenal did show some signs of complaceny as two more easy chances were wasted by Walcott who really wanted a goal. The complacency soon caused damage: Gibbs played a lazy ball to Wilshere, it was intercepted by Tabb, who quickly released LeFondre. The substitute striker rounded up Szczesny before scoring. Five minutes later, it was 4-2: Robson-Kanu threaded a ball to Kebe. Podolski played the Reading midfielder onside as he was unable to stop his run when he tracked back Cummings’ overlap on the far right and Kebe finished cooly past Szczesny.

The ease Reading scored two goals when they were dead and buried clearly raises question marks on an otherwise excellent performance, but Arsenal put the gloss back into the scoreline 10 minutes from time when the masterful Cazorla ran away with the ball from two Reading players in the blink of an eye and played a reverse ball to Walcott in the box. The contract rebel took a touch inside and drilled a left-footed shot past Federici.

After the painful results of the past few weeks, this was a reassuring display from Arsenal, especially attacking wise. Finally, the midfield and attack moved with cohesion and fluidity. Yet, Reading’s abject defensive display also helped. It is too early to judge whether Walcott can play the  central striker role effectively before seeing him against much better defenses that will test his ability to hold the ball under physical pressure, but his performance on the day was promising. I am extremely suspicious about Walcott’s ability to play that role as I do not believe he has the necessary tenacity to lead the line, but he might prove me wrong. Time will tell.

Arsenal:2 West Bromwich Albion:0 Match Report

Goals: Arteta (26, pen), Arteta (64, pen)

Arsenal Line-Up (4-3-3). Szczesny (GK), Sagna (RB), Vermaalen (CB), Mertesacker (CB), Gibbs (LB),  Wilshere (CM) Arteta (CM), Cazorla (CM), Gervinho (LF), Oxlade-Chamberlain (RF), Giroud (CF).

Arsenal ended their 4-match winless run with a much improved performance compared to dismal displays of the last few weeks. They were led by the excellent Wilshere who was both combative and creative, sometimes at the same instance. Unfortunately, Cazorla’s dive to get the first of the two Arteta penalties, but not this improved performance, was the main talking point after the game.

Arsenal started the game with much more hunger, freshness and intensity compared to the Swansea game. The main difference was their relentless pressure on the ball, quicker ball circulation and true width on both flanks. The home side did not give West Brom any time and space on the ball. West Brom’s midfield missed the injured Claudio Yacob’s energy and dynamism as Brunt, Mulumbu and Morrison were utterly dominated by Arteta, Cazorla and Wilshere all game long (at times the Arsenal trio were as comfortable as they were in a training exercise). Unlike recent games, no West Brom midfielder specifically dropped on Arteta to disrupt Arsenal’s ball circulation at its source. With Arsenal applying good pressure from the front, Arteta was never exposed defensively, which enabled Wilshere to push forward and orchestrate attacks freely. Wilshere had 48 passes completed in the game, 31 of those in the attacking third and 31 passes being forward passes. If anything, this game showed why Arsenal need to press from the front to build any pressure and play the game they like to play.

Despite the encouraging start, however, Arsenal’s main clear-cut chance in the opening 20 minutes was Gervinho’s fluffed shot when Giroud’s physical presence made it difficult for Myhill to punch away a Cazorla corner. There was also a half chance when Oxlade-Chamberlain (who had his best game of the season) raced to Sagna’s ball on the right flank, yet Cazorla sliced the winger’s excellent cross wide on the volley.  Shortly after the 20th minute mark, West Brom surfaced in Arsenal’s half for the first time as Brunt’s right-footed curler missed the far post.

Perhaps, as Steve Clarke moaned about it after the game, the visitors’ game plan was to frustrate Arsenal as long as possible, banking on the nervousness that would ensue if the game went on scoreless. This ingenious plan was turned upside down in the 23rd minute when Wilshere cushioned down Olsen’s clearance in the midfield and passed the ball to Giroud in front of the West Brom box. The French striker quickly fed Cazorla’s overlapping run on the left inside the box. As Reid rushed to tackle Cazorla, the playmaker moved the ball from his left to right foot cutting inside Reid’s challenge. Replays showed clearly that there was minimal or no contact, yet the referee bought Cazorla’s dive and awarded a penalty. When Arteta scored from the penalty spot, it was Arsenal’s first penalty goal at home since April 2011. Minutes later, West Brom demanded a penalty of their own when Mertesacker handled the ball in the box after a set piece delivery, but replays showed why the referee gave a foul for Arsenal as Olsen was clearly strangling the German defender from behind when the ball was still in the air.

The remaining of the half saw Arsenal completely controlling the game and creating further chances to extend their lead.  The home side’s favored move was Gervinho running inside off-the-ball and Cazorla overlapping Gibbs into the space that Gervinho emptied. In one such move, it was unfortunately Gervinho but not Giroud who got at the end of Cazorla’s cross as the Ivorian again showed that an 8 year old girl is more threatening in the air than the erratic winger. Yet Gervinho did a few good things as well. In the 36th minute, Gibbs and Cazorla again combined on the left and the Spaniard released Gervinho whose cut back was missed at the goal mouth by the onrushing Wilshere.

The second half was played in a similar fashion with Arsenal never allowing West Brom any action in Arsenal’s half and continuing to create chances, mainly through Wilshere. When Giroud controlled a long Vermaalen ball inside the left channel, he fed Wilshere’s overlapping run. The midfielder’s cross to the far post was caught by Oxlade-Chamberlain on the volley, but the ball bounced off the crossbar. Then, Gibbs overlapped Cazorla on the left: his cross was met by Gervinho’s head in the box with predictable consequences. Minutes later, Wilshere’s chipped ball to Giroud got a deflection off West Brom left back Popov and presented a glorious chance to Gervinho in the 6 yard box, but the Ivorian this time had an air-kick (no, I am not kidding).

When Arsenal finally extended their lead, it was again in controversial circumstances. Wilshere started a counterattack through Cazorla whose diagonal ball found Oxlade-Chamberlain on the far right. The winger first lost control of the ball, yet with a little nudge, he shook off Popov and burst into the box only to be upended by Brunt’s rash challenge. There was no question about the foul in the box, yet the visiting team were furious for the foul not given on Popov. Arteta did not care and executed the very same penalty again.

With the game all but won, Arsenal found further chances, the most glaring of which was wasted by the substitute Podolski in the 6 yard box after Wilshere played the striker in. West Brom continued to look subdued being able to register their first and only shot at Arsenal goal in the 85th minute through the substitute Rosenberg. It was an easy victory for Arsenal, despite being tarnished with the controversies surrounding the two penalties. Yet, the performance was infinitely better than the last week’s abomination against Swansea.

Arsenal:0 Swansea:2 Match Report

Goals: Michu (88), Michu (90+1)

Arsenal Line-Up (4-3-3). Szczesny (GK), Jenkinson (RB), Vermaalen (CB), Mertesacker (CB), Gibbs (LB),  Wilshere (CM) Arteta (CM), Cazorla (CM), Podolski (LF), Walcott (RF), Gervinho (CF).

Arsenal succumbed to a depressing home defeat against a slick-passing Swansea side with late goals from Michu.

To understand the texture, content and mood of this game, it is instructive to look at the first Swansea goal which provides a microcosm of the whole game. That goal arrived 2 minutes from normal time, although the only reason that Swansea were not already ahead comfortably by that time was Szczesny. In the 87th minute, when Kieran Gibbs received the ball on the wide left and looked up at the Arsenal players ahead of him, he saw absolutely no movement. He then did what his teammates had kept doing all game long: playing a square ball to a teammate closeby. That teammate was Rosicky (who had replaced the tiring Wilshere minutes earlier). The Czech, with all the rustiness of someone who has not played a single minute of competitive football since summer, played a hopeful yet not purposeful through-ball in the general direction of Giroud. The French striker (another substitute who replaced the woeful Podolski) was actually running towards Rosicky. That’s why the through-ball made no sense at all, as so few things Arsenal did on the day.

When Swansea intercepted this ball, they immediately made the space bigger by using all the width of the pitch, and started knocking the ball around with impressive ease and crispness. During precisely 19 one or two touch passes, the ball was circulated left, right, up and down with the two centerbacks (Flores and Williams), the two full backs (Rangel and Davies), the two central midfielders (Britton and Ki), the two front men (Luke Moore and Michu) and the winger Nathan Dyer all taking touches within a space of 50 seconds. The ball was finally played to Chico Flores with the centerback moving with the ball towards the right of the center circle, into the space emptied by the right back Rangel (who himself was busy running behind Gibbs). Flores looked up and played a precise ball to Michu in Arsenal’s half. The Spaniard’s first touch was not even good. But when Vermaalen’s tackle deflected the ball to Luke Moore, his one touch ball released Michu, as the striker was already behind Vermaalen in that split second. The impressive signing from Rayo Vallecano finished past Szczesny with sublime confidence.

Three minutes later in extra time, when Arsenal were desperately pushing forward for an equalizer, Jenkinson was pushed back with the ball under Nathan Dyer’s pressure and lost the ball. Jenkinson should have just turned with the ball towards the touchline, putting his body in between Dyer and the ball instead of running towards the Arsenal goal. That’s just football basics. If he had done that, he would either win a free-kick or a throw-in. Michu raced to the loose ball, facing no one in Arsenal’s half but Szczesny, and applied another precise finish. It was nothing less than what Swansea deserved.

The above descriptions of the two Swansea goals basically tell the whole story of the game. Except the first 15 minutes of the second half, Arsenal lacked any desire, any intelligent movement off the ball, penetration, quick passing and intensity. Swansea settled into their intricate and delightful passing game from the first minute and they were denied in the first half only by Szczesny who made a double save from Rangel and Vermaalen who made a last ditch tackle to stop Dyer after the winger raced to Michu’s flick over Mertesacker at the half hour mark.  The only meaningful Arsenal danger of the first half was when Podolski and Gibbs combined on the left and Gibbs sent in a dangerous cross into the box. That would be a good enough cross for any real striker to head the ball into the net from 8 yards, but when your striker is Gervinho (Wenger rested Giroud until the 67th minute) what you get is a comically weak header towards the corner flag. During the whole of first 45 minutes, Arsenal’s front three (Podolski, Walcott and Gervinho) were all dreadful, losing every ball played to them and, despite constantly switching positions, not managing any effective movement.

Arsenal’s midfield trio, Arteta, Cazorla and Wilshere, though quite impressive on paper, were completely subdued with the energy, purpose and technical skill displayed by Swansea’s midfield trio of Britton, Ki and and De Guzman, especially in the first half. What was quite sad from an Arsenal point of view, was that the three key members of this slick-passing Swansea side, Michu, Chico Flores and the excellent Rangel, alltogether did cost the Welsh outfit less money than what Arsene Wenger paid Fenerbahce for Andre Santos, the Brazilian left back who does not start a game even when Gibbs is injured. Talk about building attractive sides on a tight budget!

What is also sad is to see Arteta and Cazorla being played down to the ground every three days with no alternatives to give these players a little breather. Arsene Wenger had explained the change of heart on the Nuri Sahin loan deal with Arsenal being very well-stocked in the central midfield area. That does not seem to be the case at all. However, the squad situation for the front positions is not only tight, it is simply pathetic. Giroud is the only real striker. Gervinho is an erratic winger who is more frustrating than a mosquito and most of the time he does not even look like a footballer. Podolski is inexplicably immobile and disinterested on the wide left, and Walcott seems to play well only when he feels that he needs to showcase his talents for the upcoming January transfer window.

Arsenal did improve somewhat in the first 15 minutes of the second half, especially with Cazorla and Wilshere driving the team forward, yet Swansea always maintained their threat. Giroud’s introduction instead of Podolski with 25 minutes left did not really make much of an improvement, although the Frenchman almost broke free into the box chasing a misplaced back pass, but Chico Flores made a last ditch tackle. Referee Clattenburg correctly dismissed Arsenal’s penalty appeals.

What has become painfully clear after home games against QPR, Fulham and Swansea is that now mid-table or even relegation zone teams come to the Emirates for three points having already sensed that there is not much to be afraid of this Arsenal team. As such, despite Tremmel being forced to saves from Cazorla on two different occasions, it was Szczesny who had to make the more difficult saves, the most troubling one a point-blank save from the substitute Tiendalli when he combined with Rangel to cut through Arsenal’s left like a hot knife through butter.

Overall, Arsenal seem to be bleeding slowly down the table with depressingly flat, if not outright dismal performances. There is no question that this is the weakest Arsenal side (especially in the attacking department) of Arsene Wenger’s long reign at the club. The question is if Wenger can still finish in the top four with this bunch. If he does, it will not be too surprising, given that despite all the points dropped, Arsenal are still within 5 points off the third place. However, it seems that things can get much worse than this, before they get any better.

Wenger’s complaint of a lack of consistency is also a little curious. Except beating two 10-man opponents at home (Spurs and QPR), Arsenal have not won a single Premiere League game, and have not played well in a single game either, since the away victory at West Ham on October 6th (again bar the Spurs game). Ironically, the team seems to be quite consistent in delivering mediocre or dreadful performances.

Everton:1 Arsenal:1 Match Report

Goals: Walcott (1), Fellaini (28)

Arsenal earned a hard-fought point at Goodison Park after a game that Everton mostly dominated.

Arsenal Line-Up

Arsenal had a 4-2-3-1 formation. Szczesny was at the goal. Vermaalen started at left back but had to switch to centerback to pair with Mertesacker when Koscielny got injured in the third minute, after which Gibbs played at left back. Bacary Sagna returned at right back. In central midfield, Wilshere was paired with Mikel Arteta. Ramsey was on the left instead of Podolski, and Walcott was on the right. Cazorla was behind Giroud who started as the central striker.

The Game

Arsenal took the lead inside the first minute. Walcott received the ball on the right flank close to the halfway line and started a surging run inside. Despite Jagielka’s tackle, he was able to keep the ball alive and found Ramsey. The Welshman’s return ball to Walcott provided the English international with a shooting chance at a slightly narrow angle in the left side of the box. When his curler took a deflection and hit the net at the far corner, only 52 seconds have passed. Right after the goal, Koscielny got injured, and Vermaalen switched to centerback with Gibbs coming in from the bench to left back.

After the shock of this very early goal, Everton gradually built a relentless pressure and the visitors found it quite difficult to keep the ball in Everton’s half. Tactically, Arteta was following Fellaini’s movement in between Arsenal’s midfield and defensive lines, as the Belgian was a constant menace with his physicality. Using Fellaini, however, was not Everton’s only weapon. In the 6th minute, Baines and Pienaar excellently combined on Everton’s left (as they would do all game long) and Baines’ cross was parried away by Szczesny with difficulty.

Everton kept working very hard all over the pitch, cutting passing angles, creating blind alleys and forcing Arsenal to mistakes on the ball. Around the 15th minute mark, Fellaini’s header from a Baines corner was well saved by Szczesny. Minutes later, Gibson’s weak shot did not trouble the Polish goalkeeper, but Everton were constantly knocking at the door. Another brilliant move between Pienaar and Baines was intercepted by Wilshere’s sliding tackle before Fellaini could pounce. While Everton kept pressing and attacking, Arsenal’s only answer was a weak Vermaalen free-kick that was saved by Tim Howard. Seeing the ease that Baines and Pienaar were torturing Arsenal’s right wing, Wenger switched Walcott to the left and placed the more defensively responsible Ramsey to the right flank.

Everton finally scored their well-deserved equalizer shortly before the half hour mark. After Arsenal monopolized possession for the first time and knocked the ball around in Everton’s half with some comfort, possession was finally lost and Pienaar tried to play a hopeful through ball to Jalevic. Szczesny caught this ball, but he clearly had not understood that his teammates were trying to slow the tempo, as he quickly released the ball to Sagna who passed it first time to Arteta in front of Arsenal’s box. The Spaniard was pressured immediately by Pienaar, and Sagna’s panicked clearance of the loose ball reached Fellaini right at the edge of the box: the big-haired Belgian curled the ball to the bottom corner with his left foot. It was a goal that could have been avoided with a little more concentration.

The rest of the first half saw Arsenal hopelessly messing around with the ball, not being able to make any penetration and routinely losing it in dangerous areas. In the 40th minute, Jelavic turned away from Mertesacker showing good skill, but skied the ball high when he only had Szczesny to beat. Three minutes from half time, Arsenal again lost the possession in a dangerous area with Ramsey somehow managing to gift the ball to Pienaar, but when the South African played Jelavic through, a correct offside flag saved Arsenal.

The second half continued in the same fashion of sporadic Arsenal attacks in the face of relentless Everton pressure. When the visitors broke from their right with Ramsey, his cross was volleyed by Giroud in the box, but the ball comically bounced back from Giroud’s own face. Then, another electric Baines-Pienaar move saw Pienaar’s shot missing the near post by a smal margin. Minutes later, Pienaar again got behind Sagna (who had a terrible game by his own high standards), but before Jelavic could finish his low cross, Gibbs made a crucial interception.  Everton still attacking, Naismith turned away from Wilshere with great ease and found Pienaar on the left yet again, but the winger was denied by Szczesny. As Everton were peppering Arsenal’s goal almost constantly, Distin saw his bullet header from a Baines cross also saved by the Polish goalkeeper.

Arsenal’s main chance of the half came when Gibbs and Walcott combined on the left and Walcott sent in a good cross into the box, but Giroud’s glancing header missed the far post by the smallest of margins. Especially in the second half, Cazorla looked as tired as a teenager who woke up and masturbated 86 times until noon: when he found some space in a central position, his low and hard shot was parried away by Tim Howard. Ten minutes from time, Arsenal almost nicked an undeserved winner when a good counterattack saw Wilshere releasing Walcott on the left. The winger fed Giroud’s run inside the left channel. The Frenchman could have easily squared it to the substitute Gervinho for a tap-in, but instead he sent in a high cross above the Ivorian’s head. In the dying minutes, both sides looked quite tired after their fierce battle and the spoils were shared.

Conclusion

Having played 4 games in 11 days with almost the same set of players, Arsenal did indeed look very tired in this physically draining game. Cazorla, Giroud and Arteta looked particularly knackered. As in recent games, they were quite ineffective going forward in the face of relentless Everton pressure, but at least they were able to hang on to a point, and it is hard to fault their effort. Arsenal now have played 8 away games in 14 Premiere League fixtures, with difficult away games at Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Stoke City, West Ham and Manchester United all out of the way. Hopefully, the team can now finally gain some momentum with home victories against Swansea and West Brom in the upcoming two fixtures. However, lack of depth in the squad is particularly worrying, and Wenger should do something about this in January, and I do not mean loaning Thierry Henry again.

Aston Villa:0 Arsenal: 0 Match Report

Arsenal were held to a goalless draw at Villa Park after a hard-fought encounter under heavy rain.

Arsenal Line-Up

Arsene Wenger rested Wilshere, Vermaalen and Sagna, with the upcoming midweek encounter at the Goodison Park in mind. The formation was again a hybrid of 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-4-1 with Ramsey’s movement being the key switch from one to the other. Szczesny started at the goal. Gibbs returned at left back after his injury layoff.  Koscielny was paired with Mertesacker at the center of the defence. Jenkinson started at right back. In central midfield, Aaron Ramsey was paired with Mikel Arteta. Podolski was on the left, and Oxlade-Chamberlain started on the right as Walcott is still injured. Cazorla was behind Giroud who started as the central striker.

The Game

From the early minutes, Villa’s game plan was to press high up the pitch and prevent Arsenal from settling into a passing game.  Somewhat different from Arsenal’s recent games, however, the home side’s press did not specifically concentrate on Arteta, but targeted whoever dropped deep (Ramsey, Cazorla and even Giroud) to build play from the back. This mobile pressing cover had bite and it was effective as Arsenal were denied time and space on the ball. The heavy rain also helped Villa’s efforts.  Arsenal, on the other hand, sat deep whenever Villa had the ball and preferred to keep their shape.

One visible aspect in the first half was Giroud dropping too deep probably due to his frustration of not seeing much of the ball (as this piece on Arseblog mentions, the player who passed the ball most times to Giroud was Mertesacker (10 times)), which indicates the extent that Villa’s pressing pushed Arsenal back. Overall, French striker’s movement was good when it was lateral, and it was his delicate touch to Ramsey that created Arsenal’s first real opening in the 29th minute: the Welshman released Oxlade on the right who tried to find Podolski in the 6-yard box. When Clark intercepted the ball, Ramsey had a chance to shoot inside the box, but the shot was saved by Guzan. This would be Arsenal’s only shot on target in the whole game.

Villa’s hard work all across the pitch also reaped some half chances of their own. When Szczesny tried to collect a long ball inside the left channel, the slippery surface carried him outside the penalty box with the ball in his hands. Aston Villa worked the resulting free-kick brilliantly: Bannan’s deceptive cutback found Clark unmarked on the penalty spot. His shot was deflected to Weimann, who scored but the goal was correctly ruled offside.

Arsenal’s big chance of the half came when Koscielny started a move by bursting forward from the back. Cazorla fed Giroud’s run on the left. Koscielny, who continued his run, received Giroud’s low cross completely unmarked in the box, but scooped the ball high with his left foot when scoring looked much easier.

The second half started at a much higher tempo, and Arsenal looked more dangerous in the first 15 minutes. First, Cazorla combined with Oxlade-Chamberlain, received the return ball, yet his shot was narrowly wide. Minutes later, when Aston Villa gifted possession in the center of the park, Cazorla released Podolski on the left, but the German’s cross to the near post was well-handled by Guzan. In the 55th minute, another Giroud flick created space for Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right flank, but when the winger sent in a low cross, Ramsey was not able to guide the ball into the net at the near post. Villa responded in kind: after Podolski lost the ball under pressure in Arsenal’s half, Benteke turned inside from the right channel, and saw his dangerous shot deflected out for a corner.

The game was hardly a good spectacle given the adverse conditions, unless you like that kind of scrappy affair on a wet and cold Midlands evening. Both teams were working hard, but lacking any cutting edge in dangerous areas. When Gibbs and Ramsey worked an opening on the left, Podolski received the ball inside the box, and his shot on the turn was blocked by Lichaj. From the resulting corner, Giroud’s flick was slashed wide by Ramsey at the far post.  Then, Villa threw another good punch, after a brilliant interplay between the substitute Holman and Benteke through the center created space for Agbonlahor in the box, but Szczesny made a good save.

Around the 70th minute, Gervinho replaced Podolski on the wide left position, but the Ivorian looked completely off the pace during his 20 minutes in the game with his touch heavier than an obese elephant. Wenger also replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain with Arshavin on the right as the game entered into the last 15 minutes, delicately poised. Another good Aston Villa move through Benteke found Holman in a central shooting position, and Szczesny tipped the Australlian’s rocket off the crossbar.  Quite inexplicably, Wenger replaced Giroud in the last 4 minutes with Coquelin, and shifted Gervinho to the striker position. Arsenal’s best chance in the dying minutes came when Arshavin’s delicious ball into the 6-yard box was intercepted by Clark’s last ditch tackle as Gervinho looked certain to score in the goal mouth.

Conclusion

After last week’s trashing at the hands of Manchester City, Aston Villa showed a great team ethic and worked very hard all game long. Not for the first time this season, Arsenal were not able impose their passing game under Villa’s relentless pressure on the ball. The draw was a fair result. What is a little depressing for Arsenal fans, though, is that this season such draws in away games against relegation zone opponents after mediocre performances feel quite normal.

Last season, when Arsenal tied away from home against similar opposition, I was at least able to get pissed off. Now, the feeling is similar to the one when your 20 year old son does not listen to you anymore. Perhaps, like their team, the traveling Arsenal fans also “lacked a little bit of sharpness today” as they did not understand at all why Wenger took off Giroud after sending in two wingers for better delivery from the flanks,  as they chanted “You do not know what you are doing.”  But to his credit, at least Wenger did not start Ramsey on the right wing, despite Walcott’s injury. I would expect him to pair Coquelin and Arteta in the center and unleash Ramsey on the wing!

All joking aside, the midweek encounter at Everton will see an equally hard physical battle against opponents with better technical qualities than Villa.

Arsenal:2 Montpellier:0 Match Report

Goals: Wishere (49), Podolski (63)

Arsenal secured qualification to the knock-out stages of the Champions League for the 13th consecutive season after a comfortable win against Montpellier.

Arsenal Line-Up

Arsenal had a 4-2-3-1 formation. Szczesny started at the goal. Vermaalen was again at left back. Koscielny was paired with Mertesacker at the center of the defence. Bacary Sagna started at right back. In central midfield, Wilshere was paired with Mikel Arteta. Podolski was on the left, and Oxlade-Chamberlain started on the right as Walcott was injured. Cazorla was behind Giroud who started as the central striker.

The Game

The game started in an extremely dull fashion, and almost nothing of any significance happened in the first 10 minutes. Shortly after the 10th minute mark, the crowd were reassured that they have come to watch a football game, when Koscielny’s header from a Vermaalen cross crashed at the bar.  Montpellier responded when Mbia’s defence-splitting pass was chased by Mounier, but Szczesny got to the ball before the French winger.

The rest of the half was quite scrappy with both sides displaying their skills in playing overhit and wayward passes.  Around the 30th minute, Koscielny stormed out of his own half with the ball. When he was tackled finally at the edge of the Montpellier box, the ball was deflected to Podolski who fired just wide off the post. Minutes later, Podolski exchanged passes with Cazorla on the wide left channel and was played in by the Spaniard, but the German again missed the target from a narrow angle.

After a mostly eventless first half, Arsenal took the lead three minutes into the second half. Vermaalen exchanged passes with Podolski to go beyond the Montpellier right back, cut inside and send in a cross into the box. Giroud expertly flicked the ball onto the path of Wilshere who was arriving late into the box and the midfielder coolly dinked the ball past the goalkeeper.

After the goal, Arsenal continued to control the tempo of the game, and the sporadic French sorties into the Arsenal half looked toothless. During a period of possession when Arsenal tried to force their way through the center and the left, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s frustration for not receiving the ball when completely free on the right was visible. When the young winger finally got his feet to the ball after stealing possession in the midfield, he made a trademark anarchic and surging run inside and played the ball to Podolski. The German assassin executed a brilliant one-two with Giroud (the French striker’s return ball was top class) and thundered the ball into the net with an exquisite volley.

My reluctance to go into much detail in this match report is because the game had the feeling of a rather easy win for Arsenal written all over it. In the remaining 25 minutes, Arsenal controlled the game without breaking too much sweat and cruised into an easy victory. The overall look of the game was as one-sided as the Fox News coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the last minutes, Coquelin, Ramsey and Gervinho made cameo appearances. Other than that, Giroud missed a big chance when played through by Cazorla (have you seen that before?).

One tactical point worth going over is the performance of Giroud in this match (for a more detailed take on this, see Arsenal Column’s piece).  What Giroud adds to the side is his hard work, physical presence and movement across the forward line.  His goal against Schalke came when he did not give up possession in front of the box and played it to Podolski to get to the end of the German’s cross. Likewise his similar goal against West Ham, his flick to Walcott in the build up for Arsenal’s fourth goal against Spurs, his assist to Podolski in the first Montpellier game, his brilliant diversionary run in Podolski’s goal against Liverpool are all examples.  Giroud becomes less effective when he drops back to the midfield to build play a la Van Persie, like he did against Montpellier in the first half. He is not good at this. His touch fails him too often. And most importantly, it is not even needed with a midfield trio of Cazorla, Wilshere and Arteta. When Giroud drops deep, the opposition centerbacks push forward to squeeze the space in front of their box. Giroud needs to dislocate the centerbacks and put them under pressure with his movement in and around the box.  When he did not do this in the first half against Montpellier, the team struggled to create openings. In the second half, he performed like he should, stayed high up the pitch as the target man and produced two assists, and Arsenal looked more fluid.

Conclusion

Arsenal did not play particularly well, but they scored two excellent goals and secured an easy victory against last year’s French champions who did not look like champions at all (they have won only four times this season in all competitions).  This victory made the trip to Athens for the last group game a formality. Arsenal will probably finish the group second behind Schalke,  but hopefully will not end up playing Barca again (as if they do, it will be the third time in last four seasons).

Arsenal:5 Tottenham Hotspurs:2 Match Report

Goals: Adebayor (10), Mertesacker (24), Podolski (42), Giroud (45+1), Cazorla (60), Bale (71), Walcott (90+1)

Arsenal beat the living crap out of a 10-man Tottenham Hotspurs with the same scoreline as last season after Adebayor was sent off in the 17th minute. After the game, Tottenham manager Andres Villas Boas managed to draw a laughter by claiming that his team controlled the game from the first minute to the last.

Arsenal Line-Up

Arsenal had a 4-2-3-1 formation. Szczesny returned at the goal for the first time since the Southampton game in September. Vermaalen was again at left back. Koscielny was paired with Mertesacker at the center of the defence. Bacary Sagna started at right back. In central midfield, Wilshere was paired with Mikel Arteta. Podolski was on the left, and Walcott started on the right. Cazorla was behind Giroud who started as the central striker.

The Game

Villas Boas started a game with two strikers for the first time this season, probably because the attacking link-up players in his preferred 4-2-3-1 were either injured (Dembele) or out of form (Dempsey and Sigurdson). His surprising 4-4-2 formation meant that, unlike the recent games, Arteta did not have a player marking him full time (though Defoe was sometimes dropping close to him when Arsenal had the ball). Instead of targeting Arteta specifically, Spurs midfield and backline pushed forward and played a high line to squeeze the entirety of Arsenal’s midfield.

This tactic seemed to work in the first 15 minutes, as Arsenal had difficulty in building play, and Spurs looked dangerous whenever they attacked. First, Gallas had a goal which was correctly ruled offside. Spurs then took the lead when, at the 10th minute mark, Vertonghen approached to the midfield line with the ball, and under no pressure played an over the top ball behind Arsenal’s backline. Mertesacker, who was marking Defoe, was slow to react and Defoe received the ball inside the box at a slightly narrow angle. The striker tried to pass the ball to the far corner. When Szczesny could only parry the ball inside the 6-yard box, Adebayor finished the rebound in front of Vermaalen.  Arsenal looked shaken with the early goal, and Spurs almost extended their lead shortly after when they quickly broke from midfield again: Bale found Lennon on the right with the winger missing the far post by a small margin.

The game was turned upside down in the 17th minute when Adebayor inexplicably sent Cazorla flying into the orbit with a high studs-on challenge. Howard Webb had no choice but to send the Togolese off. The dynamics of the game then changed completely as Arsenal started attacking with hunger and purpose down their right with Walcott giving Naughton a very hard time. The home side equalized shortly after when Wilshere (who had a very aggressive game in the center) switched play to the right to Walcott. The winger attacked Naughton and sent in a good cross into box. The ball did not have much pace, but Mertesacker placed a majestic header past Lloris into the right corner. It was the German defender’s first goal in Arsenal colors.

With their equalizer, Arsenal scented further blood and put the Spurs goal under siege for the remaining 20 minutes of the first half. In the half hour mark, Walcott was fouled by the hapless Naughton and Wilshere’s set piece was met by a powerful header by Giroud, but Lloris made an excellent save. A minute later, Cazorla’s rocket from outside the box narrowly missed the crossbar.  Arsenal then again attacked from their right, as this time Giroud met Sagna’s cross inside the 6 yard box, but he directed his header right at Lloris.

In this 20 minute period, Arsenal attacked with pace and some of their moves were simply electric. Tottenham looked like a boxer who was getting a horrendous beating and waiting to be saved the bell. Arsenal managed to land two crushing punches in quick succession before the half time whistle. First, Arteta controlled a loose ball and drove into the box attempting a one-two with Wilshere. The ball was deflected to Podolski who fired a shot on the turn under the close attention of Gallas, and the ball slowly crept inside the far post. Three minutes later, this time Cazorla controlled a loose ball outside the box. As he attempted to burst forward inside the left channel, he was first tackled by Wilshere by mistake and then by Kyle Walker. Despite losing his balance, the Spaniard rode another challenge and cut the ball inside the 6-yard box. Giroud got in front of Vertonghen and Gallas to finish with force.

For the second half, Andre Villas Boas removed his two full backs (Naugton and Walker), send in Dawson and Dempsey, and reverted to a 3-4-1-1 formation. Gallas, Vertonghen and Dawson were the three at the back, and Dempsey was  playing the link-up role behind Defoe. It was indeed a courageous attacking move and Spurs started having more of the ball. After 10 minutes into the second half, the possesion statistics showed Spurs having 64% of the ball. Yet, despite winning a series of corners and set pieces, they did not create a clear-cut chance. What they managed to do was to stop Arsenal’s orgy-like desire to attack against a broken 10-man opponent.

Despite their improved play, though, Spurs conceded a fourth goal which had a brilliant simplicity. Giroud headed down Szczesny’s goal kick to Walcott, who controlled the ball, and released Podolski on the left. With Spurs playing with no fullbacks, the German burst forward past Gallas and found Cazorla’s inside run from the opposite flank. Normally a left back would track Cazorla’s run and intercept the cross, but with deeper wide areas in Spurs’ half left completely exposed, the Spaniard easily buried his shot past Lloris.

With half an hour more to go, and with the scoreline at 4-1, the game could now finish with any scoreline. However, Arsenal’s finishing let them down shortly after the 4th goal with Wilshere and Giroud wasting good chances . Tottenham kept chasing the game, and they found some hope when Bale’s brilliant shot from outside the box hit the bottom right corner. As part of their recent lack of confidence and partially due to the negative vibe of the crowd, Arsenal got nervous and allowed Spurs two more chances to cut the deficit to one. First, Bale was played in by Dempsey, but instead of squaring the ball to Defoe at the far post, the Welshman opted for a shot at goal and missed the target. Then, Szczesny failed to make a catch in a corner, but Defoe could not capitalize.

Arsene Wenger reacted to Tottenham’s chasing of the game by taking off Wilshere (who had an excellent game) and sending in Ramsey to add some freshness into Arsenal’s midfield. Podolski was also replaced by Andre Santos on the left for better ball retention and control. The history of North London derbies are packed with impossible comebacks, and Arsenal’s fragility at the back meant that the crowd and the team were not entirely comfortable with their lead. However, in the last 10 minutes Arsenal closed the game with no further trouble, and added the gloss back to the scoreline in the extra time: The substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain broke from the right and found the unmarked Walcott inside the area who drilled his shot past Lloris.

Conclusion

Neutrals (and sworn Arsenal enemies) might point out to Spurs’ better start until the Adebayor red card and Arsenal’s nervousness against a 10-man Spurs in the last 20 minutes. This selective evaluation would ignore Arsenal’s electric-pace attacking in the last 25 minutes of the first half, when they truly cut Spurs into pieces. We will never know what could have happened if Adebayor stayed on the pitch, but given that he did not, this was by no means a close game. Indeed, Arsene Wenger reacted to Villas-Boas’s delusional claim that his team controlled the game from the first minute to the last with some amusement when he said “If our opponents are in control from the first to the last minute and we win 5-2, I don’t mind too much.” Me neither!

Arsenal:3 Fulham:3 Match Report

Goals: Giroud (11) , Podolski (23), Berbatov (29), Kacaniklic (40), Berbatov (67, pen), Giroud (69)

Arsenal gave away a two goal lead for the second time this week and dropped two more points against Fulham after Arteta missed the dubious penalty awarded by the referee Phil Dowd with the last kick of the game.

Arsenal Line-Up

Arsenal had a 4-2-3-1 formation. Vito Mannone started at the goal. Vermaalen was again at left back. Koscielny was paired with Mertesacker at the center of the defence. Bacary Sagna started at right back. In central midfield, Coquelin was paired with Mikel Arteta. Podolski was on the left, and Walcott started on the right. Cazorla was behind Giroud who started as the central striker.

The Game

Early on, the game was played in a very slow tempo with Fulham trying to build from the back. Arsenal did not really press Fulham’s build-up and preferred to keep their shape. The first danger came from Fulham when a good move from their left through Berbatov found Ruiz, but his shot was deflected wide for a corner. In Arsenal’s attack, Walcott looked lively on the right flank, and it was his corner that brought the opening goal when Giroud’s thumping header crashed into the net. It was the first headed goal for Arsenal in their 11th league game.

Arsenal were not playing a high tempo game, looking content to let Fulham have the ball as the visitors were enjoying good amount of possession without really threatening. When Fulham were temporarily down to 10 men with Richardson’s injury, Arsenal doubled their lead exploiting the visitors’ lack of defensive concentration: Cazorla’s short pass to Walcott was deflected onto the path of Arteta who was running inside the box from the right channel. The  Spaniard’s cutback was guided into the net by Podolski arriving from the other end, with Fulham back four all asleep.

At 2-0, it looked like Arsenal had no excuse not to hold on to their comfortable lead. Fulham were already playing an open game, and now they had to chase the game away from home. The ease that Fulham got back in the game, though, could have sucked the will to live even out of a lifetime practitioner of Ashtanga yoga. A great tackle by Coquelin won the ball in front of Arsenal’s box, yet Koscielny lost possession again and Arsenal gave away a needless corner. The customary set piece goal that Arsenal concede in almost every game arrived from Ruiz’s corner when an unmarked Berbatov headed the ball in with Mannone making no effort to dominate the 6-yard box. Wenger later complained that “No one jumped.”

The goal brought back questions about Arsenal’s confidence and fragility, and their already slow game looked even more painful to watch. It was not long before Fulham equalized, again with incredible ease. Berbatov’s simple run inside the right channel was picked up by Riether, but not by any Arsenal player (Podolski gave some sort of a chase but he was late to react to the run). The Bulgarian master had enough time to find Kacaniklic in the box who had peeled off Sagna and his downward header bounced off the ground and hit the net inside the far corner. Just before half time, Fulham almost took the lead: Kacaniklic was released by Ruiz on Arsenal’s right, but his low cross into the box was wasted by Dejagah’s showboating. Arsenal went for the dressing room looking just like the spent team that they are at the moment.

Early in the second half, Ramsey replaced Coquelin, as Arsene Wenger perhaps somehow still thinks that he can provide penetration from central areas. What Ramsey provided instead was a contemporary exhibition of sitting on the ball too long, getting caught in possession and losing it. When the young Welshman lost the ball to Ruiz, the midfielder almost found Berbatov in the box, but Koscielny’s tackle was timely and firm. Arsenal did not look like going anywhere with Arteta looking slow and indecisive on the ball and under constant pressure from Ruiz, Podolski completely missing on the left flank and Cazorla again looking classy in patches but very tired to be pulling strings. In the 65th minute, Arteta was caught in possession at the edge of the box on Arsenal’s left, lost the ball to Ruiz and then brought the impressive Fulham player down. Berbatov planted the resulting penalty to the bottom left corner with sublime confidence.

Falling behind finally shook the very foundations of the Arsenal’s team spirit. They rallied with a mixture of desperation and adrenaline, and hit back quickly. Cazorla’s excellent through ball found Giroud in the box and his left footed shot bounced off the post to Walcott on the far right. The winger’s precise cross back into the box was headed in by Giroud.

The crowd was now fully behind Arsenal and wanted their team to push for a winner. With the audacious Fulham also not sitting back, in the last 20 minutes the game turned into a great spectacle with chances at both ends. When Sagna, who had a bad game, lost the ball to Ruiz, the Costa Rican’s shot was parried out for a corner by Mannone. Minutes later, Koscielny prevented a certain goal when Berbatov was played through behind the Arsenal’s back line. Arsenal also had their chances to grab the winner. Giroud turned away from Sidwell, created space for a shot, but his rocket was well saved by Schwarzer. Later, Sagna’s deep cross into the box was met again by Giroud but he could not direct his header into the goal from a difficult position. It should be said that the French striker was the rare shining light in Arsenal’s attack all game long with his power, desire and intelligent movement.

In the four minutes of extra time, Arsenal won a series of corners, but despite Giroud’s best efforts, could not find a winner. There was, however, still time for more drama: With seconds remaining, Ruiz inexplicably passed the ball to Arshavin in Fulham half and the Russian scooted down the left towards the box. His cross hit Riether’s arm when the Fulham player was hardly a yard away and was actually trying to hide his arm away from the ball. When the typically lousy Phil Dowd produced a penalty, it was a pathetic decision. Yet, justice was perhaps done when Arteta’s low shot to the bottom right corner was saved by Schwarzer. That was the last touch of another frustrating game for Arsenal.

Conclusion

Despite their rally after falling behind, Arsenal again looked like a disjointed and uncertain force, especially defensively. The ease Fulham got back in the game, and found openings whenever they counterattacked with Ruiz and Berbatov directing their play was incredible. One positive from the day was Giroud who fought like a lion up-front. Arsenal’s two pivot midfield players in most of the second half, Ramsey and Arteta competed with each other to get caught in possession and lose the ball in dangerous areas.  Things are not looking good at all for Arsenal before the next week’s North London derby. They concede too easily and create with so much difficulty.

Schalke:2 Arsenal:2 Match Report

Goals: Walcott (18), Giroud (26), Huntelaar (45+2), Farfan (67)

Arsenal surrendered a two goal lead at Veltins Arena, but managed to hold on to a useful point in the Champions League.

Arsenal Line-Up

Arsenal had a 4-2-3-1 formation. Vito Mannone started at the goal. Vermaalen was shifted to left back instead of the accident-waiting-to-happen Andre Santos. Koscielny was paired with Mertesacker at the center of the defence. Bacary Sagna started at right back. In central midfield, Jack Wilshere was paired with Mikel Arteta. Podolski was on the left, and Walcott was on the right. Cazorla was behind Giroud who started as the central striker.

The Game

Schalke started the game with menace and found early chances.  A good Schalke counterattack that developed from their left was quickly switched to the right flank by Holtby, but Fuch’s shot was deflected for a corner.  Minutes later, when Podolski lost the ball, Schalke released Afellay on the left. The Dutch winger took the direct route to the goal and his shot was well saved by Mannone at the near post.

In the first 15 minutes, Arsenal found it difficult to retain possession in Schalke’s half. When they took the lead, it was against the run of play. Mertesacker’s aimless clearance was headed by Neustadter towards his own goal, and Giroud found himself facing only Unnerstall to beat. Before the Frenchman could pull the trigger, he was tackled by Howedes, but Walcott scooped the ball over Howedes and the goalie and found the empty net.

The visitors gained more confidence with the goal, and started passing the ball more crisply in the Schalke half. They were also fortunate to see Schalke’s marauding right back Uchida getting injured and replaced by Hoger.  A minute after this substitution, Arsenal extended their lead. Cazorla’s brilliant angled ball found Wilshere on the right channel. The midfielder cut inside to his favorite left foot and tried to play Giroud in. As the move looked intercepted, the French striker was able to take a touch towards Podolski on the left. The German was under the close attention of Hoger, yet he managed to send in a delicious cross into the 6-yard box which was met by Giroud’s diving header. Arsenal were 2-0 up after their tentative start.

After taking a two goal lead, Arsenal started sitting deeper and invited the Schalke pressure which duly arrived. The home team did not allow Arsenal to slow the tempo and continued to attack with width on both flanks. Five minutes before the half time whistle, Farfan skinned Vermaalen on the right and scooted towards the goal, yet his shot missed the the target by a small margin. It looked essential for Arsenal not to concede before half-time, but Schalke’s pressure paid off in the second minute of extra time. Arteta intercepted a ball in front of the box and played it to Cazorla. Facing his own goal and surrounded by 3 Schalke players in the middle of Arsenal’s half, the Spaniard slipped and lost possession. The speed that Schalke worked this ball was impressive. The ball was immediately played to the edge of the box to Holtby who flicked it towards Huntelaar with a single touch. The Dutch striker’s left footed finish found the net at the far post.

The aggressive start Schalke had to the second half signaled that Arsenal would have a very hard time holding on to their narrow lead.  Schalke attacked in waves, and Arsenal had to option but to sit deeper except an early sortie into the opposition half when Podolski’s deep cross was volleyed wide by Giroud.  Arsenal tried to absorb the growing pressure, yet Schalke’s width on both flanks allowed the home team to stretch Arsenal. Their constant and purposeful movement created space despite Arsenal defending with every player except Giroud behind the ball.  First, Huntelaar was slipped behind Arsenal’s defence and Mannone prevented a certain equalizer. Minutes later, when Arsenal failed to clear a ball inside the box after a corner, Mertesacker’s block raised appeals for a hand-ball. Holtby was set up for a shot outside the box after another good move, but Mannone managed to parry away his difficult shot.

The goal that the home side scented arrived shortly after the 65th minute, when Afellay sneaked behind Sagna and sent in a deep cross from the left. The excellent Holtby’s header flicked the ball to the unguarded space on Arsenal’s left as Vermaalen had come inside to meet the cross. Farfan controlled the ball completely unmarked, and his low shot was deflected in byVermaalen, although probably it was already going in.

In the remaining 20 minutes, the home side’s pressure considerably eased, Arsenal started to push forward, yet both sides looked happy with a draw. Probably, Schalke was tired after the effort they showed to close the two-goal deficit, and Arsenal did not want to concede another goal by opening up too much. What was somewhat disappointing on the night was Santi Cazorla’s performance as the Spaniard looked quite tired and was not able to orchestrate a quick counterattack to finish off the hosts during the period when they were pushing forward for an equalizer. In the very last minute of the game, Walcott found himself facing only the Schalke goalie to beat after a flick through the center, yet his weak attempt was denied by Unnerstall.

Conclusion

After a string of extremely disappointing performances in recent weeks, this was better from Arsenal, despite the fact that they surrendered a two-goal lead. Arsenal still have a very good chance of reaching the knock-out stages, and given the low confidence level they had coming to this game, this useful point is something that they can hopefully build on.